Trolley shoe



April 22 1924.

J. L. WHITTAKER TROLLEY SHOE Filed Jan. 26,

tween JOHN L. WHITTAKER, or wnvrnnor, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 MILLERTRoL LEY SHOE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATIONOF MASSA-CHUSETTS.

Application filed January 26, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN L. WHITTAILER,

State of Massachusetts, have invented an.

Improvement in Trolley Shoes, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likecharacters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to overhead current collectors for electrictrolley systems and the object is more particularly to pro-' vide animproved device of thesliding contact type.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the followingdescription of the illustrative embodiment. thereof shown by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings, wherein: I

ig. 1' is a side elevation of a trolley shoe embodying my inventionpositioned in contact with the trolley wire;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1- and V F i s. 3 and a arerespectively a plan and an ec ge view of an element utilized in theconstruction.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, I there show a suitableharp. 5 provided with the arms 7 between which extends the pintle pin 9on which is pivoted the contact member or shoe proper 11. This shoe 11-may be formed from a single forging of suitably prepared steel andherein is shown as consisting of the grooved tread part 13 having adepending web 15 through which passes the pintle 9, pivotally supportingthe shoe. The grooved tread member preferably, as best shown in Fig. 2,overhangs the arms of the harp. The tread member provides asubstantially fiat bottomed groove of considerable extent forcooperation with the trolley wire w, thegroove being flanked by flangeswhich, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, conveniently tapertoward the front of the shoe and the bottom of the groove merges intothe outer face of a depending bill portion 17 which extends as showndown between the arms of the harp when the shoe is in the horizontalposition indicated in Fig. 1. The bill 17 serves in a certain measure asa guard to prevent a wire from entering bethe arms of the harp orcatching I substantial outside TROLLEY siren.

Serial No. 531,994.

under the shoe. .It furthermore provides for the convenient attachmentof a connecting bond 19 preferably consisting of a number of coppercables secured to the end of V the bill 17 and also'connected at 21 tothe harp) The shoe shown has a swinging movement due to its mountingwhich permits it to adapt itself to various conditions of use, forexample to compensate for the varying angularity of the trolley pole asthe height of g the trolley w re varies in service; In accordance withmyinvention, however, this swinging movement is'not unrestrained but ispermitted to take place only in the way of ad ustment when the shoe isacted upon by forces. Thu s,- considers mg the shoe and Its mounting asa whole, I

- preferably provide means in the nature of a brake restraining themovement of the'shoe so that if the shoe were tilted to any position itwould normally remain in that posi tion until displaced by some exteriorforce.

In particular I provide for neutralizing the overbalancing effect of 17and of such portion shown in the drawings is placed near the rear end oftheshoe 11. 7

fected by means of a spring washer-23 Figs. 2, 3 and 4) 7 15 of the shoeand one of thea rms 7 of the harp. This washer may be provided with thecustomary burred ends 25' (see Fig. 4 causing it to bite the adjacentparts. use of this washer has the effect of a brake on the movement ofthe shoe which can no longer swing freely but is displaced only whensome considerable force from the outside acts upon it. v

This dampening of theaction of the shoe provides for a more, steadyaction thereof and prevents a chattering on the trolley wire. The shoeis pressed with an even constant pressure against the wire and is notsubject to forces which might lead to displacing it. As an instance ofthe advantages of mounting the shoe in this manner I may cite the casewhen the shoe has jumped the wire and the trolley pole comes in contactwith a cross wire as the car coasts along. As the shoe leaves the wirethe elevating gear at the base of the trolley pole swings the latter upthe depending bill. of the shoe as extends forwardly of the, pintle 9which as" movement by relatively small.

' ertia and rebounds so that wardly and as the car advances the pole isbrought with considerable force against adjacent cross wires orsuspending wires. The cross wire slides up along the pole and over theface of the shoe. A loosely pivoted shoe may oscillate violently *underthe shock of such contact and the cross wire as it draws upwardly overthe face of the harp is likely to meet the shoe in some such position asshown in Fig. 1 and to catch the end of the shoe proper 11 and theresult is that the cross wire is torn down. With the device here shown,however, as the pole strikes the cross wire the shoe is thrown violentlycounterclockwise viewing Fig. 1 by the inthe rear end of the shoe iselevated and the face forms an approximately smooth line with the frontside of the trolley pole over which the cross wire may freely slip. Theshock of contact will effect this rebounding action but the brakingeffect of the washer 23 will retain the shoe in this tilted positionwithout continued oscillation and the cross wire therefore passes freelyover the same without damage.

The washer 23 also serves to prevent arcing between the shoe and harpadjacent the pivotal mounting and consequent damage to the harp.

Having thus described in detail the particular form of my inventionshown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1 shall express in the following claims.

Claims:

1. An overhead device of the class described comp-rising a slidingcontact shoe having a pivotal mounting and brake means to restrain freeswinging movementvof the shoe.

2. An overhead device of the class described comprising a slidingcontact shoe having a mounting permitting swinging movement thereof in avertical plane but serving to hold the shoe in any position to which itmay be brought by such movement until acted on by exteriorforces.

3. An overhead device of theclass-de scribed comprising a slidingcontact shoe having an extended bearing for contact with the trolleywire pivotally mounted and adapted to be swung to a substantiallyhorizontal position by the pressure of the trolley wire and yieldablemeans normally serving to maintain the shoe in such position.

An overhead device of the class described comprising a harp, a pintlebetween the arms thereof, a SlldlDgfiOIitflCt shoe on between an arm ofthe harp and the shoe to the pintle and a spring washer interposedpreclude free swinging movement of the" latter.

1 5. An overhead scribed comprising a between the arms of the harphaving a grooved tread portion and a forwardly extending depending billand .means to counteract the overbalancingeffect of such bill.

6. An overhead device of the class described comprising a harp, ashoepivoted between the arms of the .harphaving a device of the classde-.-

groovcd tread portion and a forwardly ex tending depending bill servingas a guard to prevent tl16nSl106 catching over a wire and brake meanspermitting terior force buttending to hold-it in a given. positionirrespective of the weight of said bill.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my, name to this specification.

JOHN. L. WHITTAKER.

harp, a shoe pivoted free pivotal 'move-, ment of the snoe-undertlieaction of an 8X-;

